Forget about ephemerality. There’s a new buzz phrase you need to learn: “forced reciprocity.”
That’s the principle behind Slingshot, the new visual messaging app Facebook just released.
Widely expected to be a clone of Snapchat, which Facebook tried to buy last year for $3 billion, Slingshot is something more interesting. Like Snapchat, it restricts when you can see a photo or video someone sent you — but in this case the restriction comes before you open it as well as after.
Each new message arrives locked. To unlock it, you have to first send a message of your own. Only after than can you view the one in your inbox and send a response.
The app comes out of Facebook Creative Labs. In a blog post, the team behind it explain their thinking: ”With Slingshot, we wanted to build something where everybody is a creator and nobody is just a spectator. When everyone participates, there’s less pressure, more creativity and even the little things in life can turn into awesome shared experiences.”
